If Fate Would Allow It
by Shadowmass
Summary: A girl who only wishes to be loved, a boy who vows to never let tragedy struck again, and a man who hopes to change it all, their journeys will surely intertwine.


It was deathly quiet, with just the howling of the numbing wind filling up the area devoid of sound. Yet, if one were to inspect the area, someone could hear the faint footsteps of a juvenile girl, being overpowered by the roar of the wind. A violet coat that reached to her knees, complementary, violet boots which cuddled her feet, and a reciprocal, violet toque which embraced her head and her snowy hair were the only things guarding her against the weather. Despite the frigid temperature, the girl persisted to walk through the forested area with great difficulty.

Erratically, she halted in front of a tree and inspected one of its branches. A specific item had grasped her attention: a walnut bud resting on a branch of the tree. A melancholy smile flashed across her face.

"One... there is one there."

After counting the walnut bud, she then pursued her path, stalling only at distinct sightings of other walnut buds. She carried on with her search until she arrived at a zone that was emitting a lustrous incandescence.

The radiance tempted her childlike mind to inquire about its origin, so she trotted towards it. Once she was nigh to the incandescence, she could scope out what was causing the illumination. In the intermediacy of the region, she spotted a man adjacent to a campfire. Immediately after she caught sight of the man, she concealed herself behind a bush behind her and abided there until a voice called out to her.

"You should show yourself already. I know that you're behind me."

It stunned the girl. According to her grandfather, no one should be able to trespass into the Einzbern territory; the high-level bounded field cast around the land should be unpierceable, and yet she is seeing a man who had bypassed it. However, what irritated her the most was not that he had trespassed into the Einzbern territory but that he accomplished it while triggering none of the defenses.

"You may want to get up from there quickly, or else your bottom will freeze if you stay there for too long."

Silence greeted the man.

"I will not harm you. I just want to talk to you."

Again, silence permeated the area. The man turned around towards the direction where the girl was hidden. He was about to say something else until he saw the head of the girl gradually rise from the bush.

As the girl rose from her position, she kept gazing directly at the man. She noticed that he was wearing an unusual, red cloak which comprised two garments: One garment shrouded both of his shoulders and arms while leaving the central forefront of his chest and neck, and most of his abdomen and nether back exposed, revealing the black armor underneath which only emphasized his herculean physique. The second garment was installed on his waist, and it clocked the rear and lateral part of his legs, leaving the rest of his legs unveiled, and exposing the black pants and straps that he was wearing underneath. His skin was tanned, and he had white hair which seemed to illuminate the surrounding tenebrosity, and yet, not one of those characteristics grabbed her attention as much as his steel-like eyes that pierced through the obscurity surrounding him.

"Are you done at admiring my appearance, or is there something else that has captured your interest?"

The girl didn't bother to respond. She walked towards the opposite end from where the man was sitting and sat on a log that was lying there.

"So, do you want to tell me why a little girl like you is out in the woods on her own?"

"I was out doing one of my pastimes, mister."

The reply was inaudible that not even an elephant's ears would have been able to perceive what she had said. But even without understanding what she said, the man knew why she was here.

The man started to smile bitterly only for the joyful words that parted from his mouth to contradict it.

"Those pastimes… do they involve walnuts in any way?"

It sounded like an innocent surmise, and yet the man said it with such certitude that it left the girl dumbfounded.

"H... how did you know?"

"You see, I'm an expert in walnuts and by seeing the trees around here I can tell that this forest is brimming with them."

The girl looked at the man skeptically. The man saw her expression, and he flashed her a cocky grin.

"I assure you that there is no one better than me at finding those fiends. I'm capable of finding-"

"That's not true!", the girl abruptly interrupted. "There is someone who is better than you and you're looking at her right now!, she boldly exclaimed with a smile brimming with confidence."

Her impulsive boldness perplexed the man, but he briskly recovered from his stupefaction. The man haughtily raised one of his shoulders with his hand pointing at her; he closed his eyes and turned to face his left.

Well, well, well, it appears to me that you're not too shy after all. But if you're too confident in your abilities, let's test them, shall we? Let's have a friendly competition. We'll look for walnuts buds; whoever finds the most wins. Do you accept this? Although I'll be honest, this is unfair."

"I accept. A champion always challenges any opposition," the girl replied. She was determined to win, and no disfavor was going to impede her from winning.

The man then extinguished the flames of the campfire. He stood up and gestured to the girl to shlep along with him, but the girl remained frozen in her place.

Since the genesis of their encounter, the girl never contemplated the stature of the man;Above all, his stature did not seem to be a unique characteristic of his compared to his appearance. She was erroneous. The man was heroical. He towered over her and everything else around her, taking up most of the vast space, making her feel like a speck of dust in a beach.

_I shouldn't feel scared. I'm the heiress of the Einzbern family and nothing should scare me. 'Grandfather even said so, the Einzbern never fear adversary; we have been blessed with knowledge unknown to man.' _The girl thought to herself. She was perturbed natheless she conquered her fear, stood up, and trailed around with the man.

* * *

"And with those two, it's fifty-seven points for me," the girl euphorically exclaimed as she counted the recent walnuts that she had found.

"Notable effort but...I have to inform you I found five more, bringing me to fifty-five points," the man told the girl, deflating her built up enthusiasm.

"Well, I'm still in the lead, and I just need to find a few more walnut buds and I'll have my place guaranteed."

"Then you have to find more in another place. We are moving somewhere else now

"Why so early? We've been here for half the time that we were in the last area."

"We already found all the walnut buds that are here."

The girl then crossed her arms near her chest, tilted her head sideways, and gave the man a gaze filled with skepticism. The man only responded with a heavy sigh.

"I'm not lying to you, young miss. Of course, if you're too scared to go for one more round…" the man did not continue his utterance, but he left a connotation; one which the girl was able to catch. Ergo, the girl gave up questioning him, and let him maneuver her towards their next destination.

However unbeknown to the girl, her suspicions were correct. The man had located all the walnut buds in the area. He knew they did not enumerate all of them, but he instead beguiled her; for it was a pretext to desert the area.

As they walked through the forested area, the girl's mind deviated to the past events that had occurred in the prior hour. They had veered numerous times throughout their competition, taking unexpected turns and sometimes backpedaling their previous steps. It would not surprise her if they enumerated the walnut buds of an area twice.

However, no matter how bizarre that minute detail was, it would not blemish the whole episode. She would not admit it out loud, but the previous hour had given her a marvelous experience, the currentest in over a year. Contrary to the present, their time together was filled with banter. At first, the girl was hesitant to confabulate with the man, but after some small talk and a few jokes, she commenced to schmooze with him.

To her astoundment, the man was not as daunting as he appeared to be. He was benevolent, albeit a tad sarky. For a reason unbeknown to her, she had a feeling that the man would never maltreat her. She felt sheltered. As if he was the knight meant guard her, the princess, from the beasts lurking in obscurity.

It was a feeling faint from her recollection; a feeling that she felt when she was younger. Back when she used to ferret for walnut buds with her father. Back when she used to play imaginary tea party with her mother. Back when she was impeccant and blissfully unaware of the cruelty of the moonlit world. Back then, in the good old days before he abandoned her and her family to their ruin.

Her heart sank. She desperately wanted to weep. She wanted someone to comfort her; somebody who would embrace her as she wept; someone who would listen to her and would never leave her alone ever again.

"Are you alright?"

The girl did not look up. She stared down at the ground while she brushed off the tears which were about to form. She pushed the man aside and moved in front of him with her back facing the man, concealing the sadness within her. Never once did she face the man as she replied, "Yeah, I'm alright."

The man knew that the girl was bluffing. But he did not know what to do. He was never competent at dealing with sensitive moments like this one. So he did not pursue the matter any further and let it go for now.

He walked to the girl and picked her up tenderly up to his girl taken by surprise did not resist.

"You better hold onto me tightly"

The man led the girl around the forest and showed her the beauty that were in there. He showed her clusters of beautiful flowers with red-orange, dark pink, light purple, and red petals. Seeing that the girl loved the flowers that he had shown her, he ripped of an exquisite light purple flower off from the ground and gave it to the girl. He told her that she should attach the flower into her hair, that it will look magnificent in her and match with her clothing.

The man also showed her some animals that were in there. He would let her get off from his back, and he would bring any petite animal critter closer to her to examine it. He would also raise her up to let her see the animals which resided high up in the branches of trees. While other times they would watch certain animals from afar.

At some point, they found a nest with a family of birds. The girl desired to see the birds up close, so the man lifted her up;her face was a few inches apart from them. In that instant, one of the birds woke up from his slumber, feeling threatened, he attacked the girl out of self-defence. He stirred the other residents with his squawks. Alerted, they found the source aggravating their companion and aided him in the attack. The man vamoosed the area with the girl still seated on his shoulders;while the girl tried to cover herself from the attacks. They were able to outran the flock of birds.

Tired from the anteceding episode, they decided to rest under a colossal tree. Lying on the ground, they turned to face each other and laughed. They laughed at what happen to them. They teased each other: the man teased the girl for shrieking while she was being attacked; the girl teased him for making nonsensical expressions while they fled.

After their rounds of tease, they gazed at the starry sky. The girl would merrily point to a constellation and trace the outline with her finger. And like a child, she would tell the man information about said constellation.

The man wasn't paying attention to the conversation. His attention had been grasped by the broad beam plastered on her face. There was not a trace of grief on her, at the moment. Honestly, seeing her rejoice and act her role of a child pleased him. Finally, he had done something right.

'_This is the happiest you've been since before the Fourth Holy Grail War_. _I'm sorry that this is all the happiness that a failure like me can offer you. But at least let this fool do something right for the first time and let me correct all the wrong doings I've done to you. And even if you never get to figure out who I am or know my name and end up hating me, you're well-being will always be my top priority, Illya,' t_he man thought.

"Hey!"

The sudden outcry broke the man from his thoughts. He saw the girl glared at him in discontent.

"You were not paying attention to what I was saying!"

The man smiled cheekily."You were talking about the constellation Pisces weren't you?"

The girl huffed and turned to face the other direction. "If you're not going to listen then there is no point in talking with you!"

"I'm sorry young miss. Please forgive this inconsiderate fool for disrespecting someone as dignified as you. Is there anything I can do for your forgiveness?"

The girl turned around with a smirk on her face. The man swore he saw a glimmer sparkle in her eyes. "Well, there is something you can do. If you forfeit from our competition and recognize me as the champion, then I may forgive you."

The man could only sigh. "Alright, I yield. I accept that there is someone out there who can outplay me. A little girl who governs all walnuts, truly a goddess."

"I'm no goddess. I'm a princess of all the walnuts...their champion.

"Why princess?"

"Because princesses are prettier than goddesses."

The man chuckled at her childish response.

"Then I'll make sure to never question the authority of the intelligent and elegant princess in front of me. Unless I wish to face her wrath and of her subordinates."

"You better because next time I will not forgive," the girl said as she tried to look at the man menacingly. She did not look menacing at all, her glare lacked the ferocity and ill-nature needed for a menacing glare. The man cracked up right in front of her, earning a pout from her.

"Miss illyasviel! Where are you?! Are you near?!"

The hollers originated from behind them. They were faint and they went unheard by the girl, but the man was able to hear them. They were becoming louder each second it passed. _They're nearby. I don't have enough time left. _The man thought.

"Did you had a great time today?" the man inquired.

The girl responded by shaking her head. "I had an amazing time with you today. Thank you, It has been one of the nicest things anyone has ever done to me"

The man could tell that she amused herself today, but he wanted to hear it from her. He wanted to be reassured that he had been able to liven her day. Hearing her say those said just felt fitting.

He was about to say something else, but he was interfered with by a holler.

"Miss Illyasviel, are you nearby?!"

Illyasviel turned towards the direction where the noise deviated from. She was shocked to hear the voices of two certain homunculus. "Abertha... Alvar."

"Do you know them?" the man inquired.

"I do..." Illyasviel grabbed the hand of the man and continue saying, "Follow me. I want to introduce you to them. I know you'll like them."

Illyasviel walked in front of the man as she tried to lead him towards the direction of her guardians. However the man did not follow her; he stayed put in his place. Illyasviel lost her grip on the man's hand. She noticed and turned to face him.

"Come on, follow me! I want you to meet them!"

The man looked at her morosely and told her, "I'm sorry little one...but here is where we depart from each other."

The sparkle in Illyasviel's eyes became dimmer after hearing the words which parted from the man's mouth. Her heart felt heavy. She felt betrayed by this man. She had finally met someone who made her life regain all of its colors, and now he is going to leave her desolate...again. She looked down as her bangs concealed her pained expression.

"Are you leaving forever? Will you return? Will I get to see you ever again?"

The man eased her worries, "Of course we'll meet each other again, but I can't say when. This isn't a goodbye but instead a pause in our journey together."

"You promise. Do you promise that we'll see each other again."

The man walked up to her and kneeled down. He lifted his hand up and closed all his fingers with the exception of his pinky. "I pinky promise that I'll not break it; for you are my friend. I can't guarantee when, but I can guarantee that if we do meet again, our sunsets will never turn bleak."

Illyasviel encircled his pinky with her own. After she untangled her pinky from his, she hastily hugged the man. She departed from him and walked towards the opposite direction. As she walked, she occasionally glanced back only to see the man beam at her, until he was out of her view.

She threaded through the forest towards the origin of the noise. With each step she took the yells were getting louder, indicating that she was going the right direction. Far off in the distance she saw her guardians. She ran to them and called out their names. Hearing their names called out, they turn towards Illyasviel's direction and see her running to them. Alvar, the older one of the two, ran to her and queried worriedly, "Miss Illyasviel, are you alright? Where were you? You had us worried. We have been searching for you for about an hour, and we could not find you ."

Illyasviel eased their worries, "I'm okay. It's just that I met someone...no better yet I made a friend."

"Made a friend out of who, Miss Illyasviel?", Alvar asked her. She was sure that there was nobody else in this forest apart from them.

"It's better if I show you who I'd met. Follow me."

Illyasviel ushered both homunculus to the tree where she last saw the man. But when she arrived there, she didn't see anyone there. The man was not there anymore. As if he had vanished in thin was perplexed. She was certain this place was were she had last seen him. There was no way she got it wrong.

"He wa...was he..here moments ago," Illyasviel stuttered.

Alvar and Abertha looked at each other with concern.

"Miss Illyasviel, are you alright? No one else has been here. The bounded field did not alert us of a trespasser, nor did it detect another person being inside the Einzbern territory."

"But I saw him near a campfire. He as real and somehow he was able to bypass it. He accompanied me the past hour."

"Miss Illyasviel, are you sure it was not a hallucination? It could have been that you felt lonesome and imagined someone else being with you, treating you like a friend. It could be that the betrayal of your father and your mother's death are affecting your still mental health to this day."

"No, he felt too real."

"Miss Illyasviel, in my opinion I think it was just an apparition, but if you are certain that there was indeed a man here then I will mention this to Master Jubstacheit. For now, cease thinking about it and let us take you back to the castle."

Illyasviel did not protest. She shlep along with the two homunculi back to the Einzbern Castle. As she walked back home, she kept pondering over a line that the man had said: _I can't guarantee when, but I can guarantee that if we do meet again, our sunsets will never turn bleak. _She touched the flower that had been given to her by the man. There was nothing she could do now other than wait and trust that the man would carry through his promise. So that one day, they could go on the same adventures again and forever have their horizons be brightened by joyful memories. After all, it is not a farewell, but a break in their journey that will intertwine.

_**End Flashback**_

A gleeful smile escaped Illyasviel's lips as she reminisced about her first encounter with a certain Archer. Nine years have passed since that episode occurred. She had multiple memories that involved him, but she recalled that flashback clearer than any other, and it is also the one that she cherished the most.

Lying on her bed, she led a worn-out pendant close to her face and inspected it. The pendant comprised a simple chain connected to ruby in the shape of a spade. The ruby had dulled, turning the once crimson ruby into a brown-reddish color, and the edges of the ruby were jagged. It was not an opulent piece of jewelry by any means, but it wasn't for its beauty why she kept the pendant but rather because it was the only keepsake which she had of him.

_***Knock, Knock, Knock***_

"Miss Illyasviel, the summoning ritual is about to commence. Master Jubstacheit is waiting for your arrival."

At long last, the moment that she had been anticipating for has arrived. She could finally see him once again. She was going to bring the pendant with her. It was her catalyst to summon him. Originally, she was not supposed to partake in the summoning, but after much palaver with her Grandfather; he reluctantly agreed to let her do the summoning.

Illyasviel bestirred herself out of her bed. She withdrew from her room only to see both Sella and Leysritt each standing on one side of the doorway.

They would have looked like mirages of each other had it not been that Sella was wearing a purple dress and purple shoes in contrast Leysritt was wearing a black dress and black shoes, and that a few strands of her hair came out of her hat. They both were wearing an identical white coat over their dress that exposed their bosom. Like herself, they each had red vibrant eyes.

"How many times have I told you Sella to stop being too formal to me? Illya is just fine. There's no need to add the miss before it."

"I'm sorry Miss Illyas...I mean Illya it is just difficult to get used to calling you in such an informal manner."

Illyasviel acknowledged her answer. She proceeded to walk in front of the two homunculi.

The Einzbern Castle appeared to be grandiose if looked from the exterior, but the interior of the castle was contrastingly different. For the most part, the rooms felt empty. The rooms were enormous, but the majority of the space was not occupied. There was meagerly any furniture or decorations. There was only the essential furniture like tables, chairs, cabinets, and beds. If at all, there were only a few portraits of treasured people to the Einzbern family. And to top it all off, the walls were painted slate. The interior was monotonous- A disappointment compared to the extravagance that the exterior alluded to.

"I...Illya you are too ha...happy ri...right now," Leysritt said.

"It's because today, I'll finally see him again."

"Mi...Illya, you have mentioned him a few times before, but you have never told us his name, nor his appearance or his personality. We have never met him in person. But if you have high regards of him, then that must mean that he is a splendid and an inspiring person."

"You'll love him; I'm certain of it."

"I can not w….wait to me...meet."

By the time they arrived at the chamber where the summoning ritual was going to occur, the preparation for it was prepared. When they entered, all the other servants of the Einzbern castle present there started to exit the room, leaving them alone with Jubstacheit, who was standing firmly on the opposite side of the room, glowering at Illyasviel. He walked her.

"Illyasviel, you know that I hate unpunctuality."

Illyasviel apologized for her mistake.

But he continued on saying, "It is vital that we summon your servant without further ado; that way, you will be accustomed to the quantity of mana that he will feed off from you. Do you have your catalyst with you right now?

Illyasviel demoed him the pendant that had on her pocket.

"You shall not crater me today, Illyasviel. This is your sole reason for your existence; your regimen was made for this chapter of your life: attain the holy grail. Floundering is unacceptable."

"Now place your catalyst on top of the desk"

Illyasviel placed her catalyst on top of desk and returned back to Jubstacheit.

"Have you memorized the incantation."

Illyasviel replied, "I memorized it."

"Ergo, proceed with the summoning ritual."

Illyasviel planted her soles firmly on the ground. She extended one of her arms forward. She prepared her magic circuits and flared a bit mana. Meanwhile, read marks streaked across her body. Only the marks on her face, hands, and legs were visible, the rest were concealed by her clothing. She concentrated and said,

_Silver and iron to the origin. _

_Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone._

_The ancestor is the Master of Northern Alchemy, Justeaze von Einzbern._

_Close the four gates _

_And come forth from the crown_

_And follow the forked road leading to the kingdom._

_Fill._

_Fill._

_Fill._

_Fill._

_Fill._

_Repeat five times ,but when each is filled, destroy it._

_Heed my words,_

_My will creates your body _

_And your sword creates my destiny._

_If you heed the Grail's call, and obey my will and reason,_

_Then answer my summoning._

_I hereby swear, _

_That I shall be all the good in the world._

_That I shall defeat all evil in the world._

_Seventh heaven clad, and the great words of power,_

_Come forth from the circle of bindings,_

_Guardian of the Scales!_

As she chanted, the summoning circle commenced to glimmer a blue light, bolding the black lines of the summoning circle. At the end of her chant, a blaze of white light, originating from the summoning circle, illuminated the room, blinding them in the process. The blaze eventually dissipated; they were able to see the servant summoned.

"Welcome back, Engelbert!"


End file.
